The mass production of agricultural goods through mechanization and rationalization.

Term

balance of power

Definition

The theory that military conflict can be avoided if both sides have roughly equivalent military power.

Term

bourgeoisie

Definition

Historically, the merchant class in feudal societies. Today, the term is often used as a synonym for the middle class.

Term

capitalist class

Definition

Those who own companies, or stocks and shares in companies, and use them to generate economic returns or profits.

Term

carrying capacity

Definition

The number of a species that a particular ecosystem can support without suffering irreversible deterioration.

Term

cash-nexus

Definition

The defining of all human relationships in terms of monetary exchange.

Term

climate change

Definition

Changes in the earth’s climate caused by the accumulation of gases in the atmosphere, especially carbon dioxide and methane.

Term

dehumanization

Definition

The act of depriving people of their human qualities; that is, treating people like animals or things as if they have no feelings or worth.

Term

depletion

Definition

The human use of natural resources beyond their sustainable limits.

Term

ecosystem

Definition

A self-sustaining community of plants and animals within a natural environment.

Term

contingency work

Definition

Temporary, part-time, or contracted employment for the duration of a project.

Term

green revolution

Definition

The tremendous increase in farming productivity that occurred beginning in the 1950s with the application of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers, and the development of plant varieties specifically bred to respond to these chemical inputs.

Term

imperialism

Definition

The establishment of a colonial empire in which domination is political and/or economic.

Term

union

Definition

A social organization set up to represent the worker's interests in both the workplace and in the broader society.

Term

liberal democracy

Definition

A form of government based on some form of democracy coupled with capitalism.

Term

managerial capitalism

Definition

A change in the control of capitalist enterprises from owners (who predominated in Marx's day) to very well-salaried managers.

Term

oligopoly

Definition

A situation in which a small number of firms dominate a given industry or market.

Term

secondary labor market

Definition

The economic position of individuals engaged in occupations that provide insecure jobs and poor benefits and conditions of work.

Term

social stratification

Definition

Structured inequalities in life chances between groups in society. These inequalities are relatively fixed; individuals within each broad group have similar attitudes, beliefs, and backgrounds.

Term

socialism

Definition

An economic system in which the means of production and distribution of goods and services are publicly owned.

Term

multinational

Definition

A business corporation that operates in two or more countries.

Term

sweatshop

Definition

A workplace that violates one or more standards of workplace safety, labour laws, or worker compensation. Such shops now thrive in many peripheral countries.